<p>The Congress is likely to declare its chief ministerial face for Punjab on February 6 when former party chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the poll-bound state, party sources said.</p>.<p>Rahul Gandhi had announced during his last visit to Punjab on January 27 that the Congress will go into the Punjab Assembly election with a CM face and the decision on it will be taken soon after consulting party workers.</p>.<p>Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already started consultations with party leaders and workers on the chief ministerial candidate.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/parties-play-dare-games-ahead-of-punjab-elections-1077350.html" target="_blank">Parties play dare games ahead of Punjab elections</a></strong></p>.<p>The party is seeking responses from Congress leaders and workers through its Shakti app, the sources said.</p>.<p>The party has also sought the opinion of common people on the issue and the process has started in the last two days.</p>.<p>The sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Punjab on Sunday, February 6, and may make the important announcement.</p>.<p>Over the past several weeks, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have, directly or indirectly, made a case for themselves to be declared as the party's chief ministerial candidate.</p>.<p>The Congress appears to be putting its weight behind Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and has been fielded from two assembly seats of Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.</p>.<p>The SCs and STs have been a traditional vote bank of the Congress, but they drifted away from the party following the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other small groups.</p>.<p>The Congress is now seeking to consolidate the SC vote bank, which comprises almost one-third of Punjab's population, by choosing Channi to replace former chief minister Amarinder Singh.</p>.<p>A three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, Channi is the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/will-congress-pick-channi-over-sidhu-as-cm-face-in-punjab-1077406.html" target="_blank">Will Congress pick Channi over Sidhu as CM face in Punjab?</a></strong></p>.<p>He is the only party candidate to be fielded from two seats. The Congress has followed the 'one family, one seat' formula in allocating tickets to its candidates in Punjab.</p>.<p>Rahul Gandhi while addressing a virtual rally in Jalandhar last week had said that Channi and Sidhu have assured him that whosoever is chosen as the CM face, the other will support him.</p>.<p>Gandhi made the statement after Sidhu at the rally demanded that the party declare the CM face for the polls and said he doesn't want to be a "showpiece".</p>.<p>Differences in the party continued to simmer even after the ouster of Amarinder Singh and Channi’s elevation to the post.</p>.<p>The Congress is seeking to retain power in Punjab and is pitted against the AAP, the SAD-BSP and the BJP that has joined hands with Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>The Congress is likely to declare its chief ministerial face for Punjab on February 6 when former party chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the poll-bound state, party sources said.</p>.<p>Rahul Gandhi had announced during his last visit to Punjab on January 27 that the Congress will go into the Punjab Assembly election with a CM face and the decision on it will be taken soon after consulting party workers.</p>.<p>Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already started consultations with party leaders and workers on the chief ministerial candidate.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/parties-play-dare-games-ahead-of-punjab-elections-1077350.html" target="_blank">Parties play dare games ahead of Punjab elections</a></strong></p>.<p>The party is seeking responses from Congress leaders and workers through its Shakti app, the sources said.</p>.<p>The party has also sought the opinion of common people on the issue and the process has started in the last two days.</p>.<p>The sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Punjab on Sunday, February 6, and may make the important announcement.</p>.<p>Over the past several weeks, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have, directly or indirectly, made a case for themselves to be declared as the party's chief ministerial candidate.</p>.<p>The Congress appears to be putting its weight behind Channi, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and has been fielded from two assembly seats of Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.</p>.<p>The SCs and STs have been a traditional vote bank of the Congress, but they drifted away from the party following the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some other small groups.</p>.<p>The Congress is now seeking to consolidate the SC vote bank, which comprises almost one-third of Punjab's population, by choosing Channi to replace former chief minister Amarinder Singh.</p>.<p>A three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, Channi is the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/punjab/will-congress-pick-channi-over-sidhu-as-cm-face-in-punjab-1077406.html" target="_blank">Will Congress pick Channi over Sidhu as CM face in Punjab?</a></strong></p>.<p>He is the only party candidate to be fielded from two seats. The Congress has followed the 'one family, one seat' formula in allocating tickets to its candidates in Punjab.</p>.<p>Rahul Gandhi while addressing a virtual rally in Jalandhar last week had said that Channi and Sidhu have assured him that whosoever is chosen as the CM face, the other will support him.</p>.<p>Gandhi made the statement after Sidhu at the rally demanded that the party declare the CM face for the polls and said he doesn't want to be a "showpiece".</p>.<p>Differences in the party continued to simmer even after the ouster of Amarinder Singh and Channi’s elevation to the post.</p>.<p>The Congress is seeking to retain power in Punjab and is pitted against the AAP, the SAD-BSP and the BJP that has joined hands with Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>